I Lie Lonely Surrounded By You
by mandella-sama
Summary: Misao is a very popular singer and she falls for her new tour manager. One problem: he has a girlfriend. This is a story of how decit and sudden love can tare people apart. Can Misao and Aoshi's relationship overcome all odds and each other? AxM Oneshoy


_**lonely surrounded by you**_

Author: Mandella-Sama

Pairing: Aoshi and Misao

Summary: Misao is a very popular singer and she falls for her newest tour manager. One problem: his girlfriend. A story of how decit and sudden love can tear people apart. Can Aoshi and Misao's relationship overcome all odds and themselves? AxM

Disclaimer: I DO NOT own Rurouni Kenshin. nor do I own "Hotel Paper" by Michelle Branch

story

Misao watched her tour manager and his girlfriend laugh, well more like she laughed and he looked amused, as they played life in the large hotel room. A spasm of jealousy spurted through her and she gritted her teeth. How could he be with annoying and loud Megumi, when she loved him? Misao leaned across the bed and grab the complementary paper and pen sitting on the bedside table. The words flew out of her finger tips. As the words flowed her memories followed the trend.

_I write mostly on Hotel Paper  
Knowing that my thoughts will never leave this room  
I'd be out of line telling you, "leave her"  
So I lie lonely surrounded by you  
by you_

The day they had met the sun had been absent and Misao had been freshly done with her first headlining tour. The current tour manager had over booked her, and had picked a bus that was horrible. From the too small bunks to the mold growing in the bathroom that was missing a shower, it was horrible.

Misao was not a prima donna; however, she could not stand another five month tour with sub human conditions. Her first album was platinum for God's sake! Her normally happy face looked like thunder as she strode to the greasy old man holding a clip board and yelling at the roadies.

"Kasuma, we need to have words." The forty year old man looked down at the small songstress and smiled. His teeth were so white it blinded her for a second and she blinked slowly losing her courage.

"This is not working. I'm going to have to let you go. " His smile turned to a sneer and he advanced on the small woman. Misao caught a large whiff of his over powering cologne and coughed. Just as blinking had taken her courage the coughing and thoughts of this man staying gave her the courage back.

"No ifs, ands, or buts. This is my tour and your presence is not wanted or needed. You overbooked me, and look at the state of my crew! They look exhausted because they had one van for the equipment and for themselves. You have not been doing your job properly, and I can not have that." The man grinned and towered over her.

"I have a contract. A two year contract at that." He smiled down at the diminutive girl. Her superstar look was gone and she was merely a girl standing up for what was right, and losing. Her courage was slipping at the sight of the huge man. Suddenly he view of Kasuma was blocked by a large black t-shirt covered back. The man, whom she recognized as her guitar tech, was guarding her with his body and staring down the greasy tour manager.

"I believe that your contract is subjugated to you actually doing your job. I also believe that if you do not leave now I will have to force you to leave." Misao could not see Kasuma but from the sound of clicking dress shoes it seemed that he was running from the scene.

The tech in front of her turned on his heel and looked down at the small rock star. Misao looked at his feature for a moment. Strong jaw, silky hair, deep green eyes, calloused hands, and a grim expression; he was gorgeous. Her nervous expression turned into a beaming smile and she locked her arms around his body.

"THANK YOU!" He was as unmoving as a mountain, and she feared that he would stand there unmoving and make her look bad. Then his large muscled arms surrounded her for a moment, and then fell away. She backed up and smiled.

"I'm looking for a tour manager. Wanna give it a go?" She tilted her head to the side and gave him a innocent look. His eyes took her measure for a moment and then he gave a quick jerking nod.

"I would like to stay your guitar tech though." Misao nodded.

"I can arrange for you to have an assistant guitar tech to help you with your duties. Oh! And my name is Misao Makimachi." She stuck out her hand and was surprised to see a near smile on his thin lips. Of course he knew who she was. He had been on tour with her all year.

"Aoshi Shinomori."

From there it started.

Love...

Lies...

Broken Trust and Hearts...

_Lately I can't be happy for no one  
They think I need some time to myself  
I try to smile but I can't remember  
And I know tomorrow there'll be nothing else_

With Aoshi as her tour manager she had a fabulous time on tour. He was so cool headed and so well planned that on the rare occasion where something wasn't going right he would solve the problem easily.

Aoshi slowly became one of her best friends. She could always count on his complete concentration on her when she spoke to him, and on his unbiased advice. He became her confidant, and she became his best friend.

Slowly through the late night talks, rehearsals, and diner dinners. She was a child prodigy and he was an orphan from Kyoto. She grew up in a small two roomed house, and he grew up on the streets. She received her first guitar for her birthday, he received his from the salvation army on his 16th birthday. He was 24 and she was 19. He worked for her, she was his boss.

They got to know each other and Misao slowly fell in love with Aoshi. Then one day she hired a new make-up artist, Megumi Takani.

Life for Misao changed dramatically.

Misao was running with full force and like the red sea, people cleared a path for the excited star. She dashed to her dressing room. She had taken a look at the crowd and was eager to tell Aoshi about how many people had come to see her. The new record was a hit!

"Aoshi you would not believe the size of the crowd out the..." The rest of Misao's words were caught up in her throat as she witnessed Megumi Takani, her make-up artist, pull away from the man she had been passionately kissing. Aoshi Shinomori looked slightly angry at the intrusion and looked for the culprit.

Misao stood absolutely still and did not blink. She felt her small heart shatter and then get run over by her very tour bus. Aoshi took in her shocked expression and sighed.

"This is my new girlfriend, Megumi. We started dating yesterday Misao." Misao nodded silently and the whole room seemed to wait for her reply to his statement.

"O-ok. C-congrats!" Misao squeaked and then turned and fled the room. Megumi smiled a foxish smile and turned in her boyfriend's lap and kissed him. "It would seem you caught the attention of our little superstar." Megumi grinned, she always had loved competition. She always won.

"She is just a child Megumi, no more." Aoshi's words came out calm, but his heart was beating fast and his insides tore with guilt. He had hurt his only true friend.

Misao and Aoshi's relationship became strained, until it broke completely. Misao avoided him, and he did not speak to her expect when he had to. Misao's lyrics grew darker and her adoring fans grew happier.

For nearly four years the charade of former friends was played out. Aoshi was the same cold as ice, and Misao found new friends and looked happy. The entire time Megumi glowed and openly loved Aoshi, and Misao watched.

Jealousy is a deadly thing.

_And I wanted to be giving you everything that she's not giving  
And I wanted to see  
'Cause I didn't believe what I'd been hearing_

Misao's gaze rose from the hotel paper and she observed as Aoshi held his girlfriend. They had accidentally ended up sharing an hotel room, and Misao's insides were rolling as she watched the couple. Suddenly she found her eyes drawn to his and he flicked his deep gaze to her.

His eyes held love and a silent plea, but it was not for Megumi. Misao blinked shocked that he wanted her. She smiled a bit and Aoshi moved his body out from under Megumi's sleeping form. He wrote a quick note about going to buy more guitar picks with Misao and he lead them out of the room.

After driving in the rental car for a few miles Aoshi found a secluded spot near a small pond. It was just outside the small city they were currently in, and he parked the car. They both silently walked from the car to the lake and sat in the sand.

"I loved you and you broke me." Misao mumbled into her knees as she rested her head on them. He sat next to her on the damp sand with his legs spread out in front of her.

"You loved me as a friend." He replied. Misao grew angry and she reached out and smacked his arm hard. "I LOVED YOU!"

He stared at her for a moment. She had outraged tears in her eyes and her fist was still resting on his arm from where she hit him. Their gazes locked and not even the light rain that began to fall could stop the silent accusations.

He reached out and took her small fist in his larger hands and drew her to him. The small songstress yelled and pounded on his chest. When she was within his arms she cried that he was a bastard and that he was heartless. He caught her small fists and kissed her cold digits.

"It was always you, always."

"You broke ME! I HATE YOU!" Aoshi's eyes filled with hurt and she who had learned to read him growled and leaned in. "I hate you, I love you, I hope you die, I want to die next to you." She smashed her lips to his and pushed him into the sand. She was straddling his hips and tugging at his buttoned shirt; while he tangled his fingers in her hair.

They acted irrationally and while they moved with each other the lies wrapped around them like a blanket. In a dark hotel room Megumi Takani would awaken to a note, distrust, and heartache. She who never lost, never had a chance.

The whole crew on tour could feel the tension between the artist, tour manager, and make-up girl. It hung thick ion the air and every glance Misao gave Aoshi was filled with it.

Arguments that once never existed between Aoshi and Misao suddenly grew. She was too loud. He was too quiet. She was kissing another man. H e was neglecting is responsibilities. The arguments grew so bad that one day Aoshi told Misao that he was leaving. Misao openly and in front of Megumi declared her love and kissed him. He shook his head once more and left. The lies and love that had once brought them together tore them apart.

Megumi left not too long later for another tour, and the rest of the crew gradually was replaced by new people who did not know of the past circumstances. Misao's fame never faltered.

_You turned out to be more than I bargained for  
And I can tell that you need to get away  
Forgive me if I admit that I'd love to love you  
We both realized it way too late_

Misao was left broken and alone. Everyone she cared about was gone. When she and Aoshi had had their love affair she had pushed away all her friends. Now the famous singer with six highly successful records, three grammes, and nine Japanese MTV moon men; was completely alone even when she was in an arena with 5 thousand other people screaming her name.

_And I wanted to be  
Giving you everything that she's not giving  
And I wanted to see  
'Cause I didn't believe what I'd been hearing_

At the age of 29 Misao Makimachi made a public announcement that she was retiring, and that she would no longer be touring or producing any more records. The superstar was mourned by her fans, and her last concert brought in billions of dollars, all of which were donated to a small orphanage in Kyoto.

Tears filled the eyes of all in the audience as the small songstress belted out her final song of the night. It was a song written about her lost love and the lies that surrounded their relationship. A man standing in the very back of the arena had a small very sad smile on his face as he listened to her voice over the huge speakers. He was so far away that he could not even see her, but he could feel her presence even from where he stood. He thought she sounded like an angel, still, his angel.

_Maybe this wind blowing in just came from the ocean  
I write mostly on Hotel Paper_

FIN

A/n: ok I can't just end it there. I am a sucker for happy endings.

Epilogue...

A thirty year old woman walked down the streets of Kyoto wrapped up in a black pea coat and a red beanie and scarf. Her breath made white clouds in the cold winter air. In her hand was a self mixed and burned CD. She had a grim expression on her face but she strode up the steps of a green building with determination.

Her gloved fist knocked on the red door of the building and she stood in the cold waiting for footsteps. Sure enough the footsteps came and the door swung open to reveal a 35 year old man holding a newspaper and dressed in a blue shirt and plaid pajama pants.

"Hello. Please hear me out. I made this for you." The girl smiled. "It is my last unreleased CD. I thought you of all people deserved it."

The man looked down at her. The years had aged her, but her eyes were the same sparkling ocean color. Her hair was shorter and her make-up less. She no longer looked like a rock star, but like a normal girl. He nodded and reached out a hand. He was older too and his hair was not as silky and his jaw now had the beginnings of chubbiness. They both had changed.

"Come on Misao I have tea waiting." Misao looked up at him and tears sprung into her eyes. Her love still remained strong and unwavering.

"I-I'm so.." He reached out more and took the front of her jacket. With on swift motion her drew her to his chest and hugged her. "We just needed time." He whispered into her hair.

The deary gray clouds of the sky saw Misao Makimachi former superstar and Aoshi Shinomori former tour manager kiss and then enter his house. It wasn't a second chance, but a proper beginning.

Love needs space to grow.

a/n: There is the end. I've been pondering this one for a while and here it is. RATE AND MESSAGE please


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